American families come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Each person’s background affects the way that he or she views the world and gets help for physical or mental health problems.

Many parents get advice and support from family, friends, and faith leaders when their child is struggling. When a mental health professional is needed, it is important to find someone who understands that culture can affect your child’s behavior, development, diagnosis and treatment. This is called culturally informed or culturally competent care. Other phrases that can be used to describe cultural competency are 'cultural sensitivity' or 'cultural awareness.'

Culture influences how we understand and respond to behavior. Cultural competency is important for considering the following areas of family life:

Behaviors that are common and “normal” in one culture even when they are not in others

Ways to manage everyday problems that can occur between a child and parents or others

Religious beliefs, practices and events

Family customs and traditions

Conflicts that arise between parents and children if the child is spending more time with friends than with family

Different ways of expressing emotions and problems

Children and families from culturally diverse groups have unique needs that are not always met by our current health care system. They may have more difficulty finding health care providers or be at risk for higher rates of medical or mental health conditions. Some children have to adjust to having different values at home and school, particularly if their parents were raised in a different culture. A culturally aware mental health professional will try to understand and help address these sources of stress.

Families may want to see a mental health professional who has a similar background or who knows about their culture. Some ways that families can find a clinician who shares your cultural background include:

Talking with members of your cultural community

Consulting with spiritual or religious leaders, school counselors, or teachers

Checking newspapers, magazines, or websites

Checking with your local or public state mental health agency

Your mental health professional may come from a different culture. You can help your clinician to understand your culture by bringing up the following subjects:

Cultural values and religious beliefs

Languages spoken at home and school and different family members’ preferred language

Traditional medicines or treatments

Parenting practices and discipline methods

The role of family and community in your child’s life

What is expected of children at different ages in your culture

How and when feelings are shown in your family and community

Your family’s immigration or transition experience to the new culture

Losses and trauma from a youth’s immigration or transition

Factors that make it difficult for your family to obtain mental health care, including transportation, finances, and cultural beliefs

Conflict between your child and older generations of the family

Your child’s cultural strengths

Some things that your mental health professional can do to provide culturally competent care include:

With permission, working together with your cultural, community, or religious organizations

Supporting parents and caregivers in using behavioral management skills that are in line with their beliefs and values

Including family members who are “non-blood relatives” in the evaluation and treatment when requested by family or child

Recognizing the types of therapy and medications that work best in youth from specific diverse groups

Appreciating and recognizing cultural biases and how they can interfere with treatment

If your mental health provider does not speak your preferred language, you and your family will need an interpreter. Hospitals and many mental health agencies have access to interpreters (for spoken language) and translators (for written language). Interpreters have been trained to communicate exactly what you and the professional say, and to respect your privacy. It is best not to use friends or family members as an interpreter. It is especially important not to have your child act as your interpreter.

Regardless of what language you speak, a mental health professional with cultural sensitivity will better understand your family’s point of view and can also offer guidance that takes into account your family’s values and beliefs. The more information that you can provide to your clinicians to increase understanding about your family’s cultural background and value system, the more the professional will be able to help you to develop a plan to help your child.

The following are some additional resources to use in your search for a culturally sensitive mental health provider:

You may also mail in your contribution. Please make checks payable to the AACAP and send to Campaign for America’s Kids, P.O. Box 96106, Washington, DC 20090.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) represents over 8,700 child and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in general (adult) and child and adolescent psychiatry.